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AWESOME! Learned a few things...
#1
I had my first HC 2 months ago. (Been out of town since...had no time to post this) It was fantastic. Knowing how to do it- with confidence- made a world of difference!

We invited 45 people and had 32 show up. Which was about 10 more than we could easily accommodate, so it was a little snug, but worked fine. (A few people had to sit in a corner area closer to me...not ideal...). The host was a friend and did a fantastic job. 

I made over $500, which was great, given that I sold only 1 CD. (About half the audience already owned my CD, and most of the songs I played will be on the new, not-yet-finished one) 

Things I'd change:
- Despite the fact that I KNOW some of the audience members and they are fans....I got only one hesitant offer to host. Bummer.... not sure how I can fine-tune that. (I emphasized "it doesn't need to cost anything, please consider hosting a house concert...." in my talk)  

- I need to get my new CD done before I play more shows! I would've sold a lot of CDs had the songs I played been available.

- I would pass the mailing list around next time- most new people didn't sign up on their way out, like I hoped they would. (It was by the door, on the CD table)

Things I'll keep doing:

- One audience member was goofing around and started "the wave" before the show. The laughter really set the tone in a great way... humor early on=very good!

- I started a "House Party guest book" that I encouraged people to sign, doodle in, write comments, and had my husband take photos during the concert for the book. It's a fun memory book for me- but a great PR tool and way to explain house concerts to newbies, as well, if I'm talking to people in-person.

You can see photos and a song video here  Smile

I'd love to hear feedback on other people's experiences drumming up more HC offers!
Lara
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#2
LaraJai! I'm SO HAPPY to hear you had such a great experience at your first house concert! It sounds like you really knocked it out of the park. Well done! I tried clicking on your link for photos, but it wasn't working. I'd love to see it!

I wouldn't be too discouraged about not getting an immediate response from people who want to host. Sometimes people need a little time to think about how it would work for them before they feel comfortable offering themselves as a host. But as you continue to put it out there for future shows, you just might see some in that crowd come around to the idea.

Also, have a new CD is going to be GREAT for you. It's part of creating the "story" around what you're doing, and people want to be a part of stories. They want to be a part of the plot. So, if you were to organize a series of house concerts specifically around your next CD release, I wonder if you'd see more interest even from some of the people in that crowd. I've found that it's super important for me to produce new material all the time, even for my die-hard community, because it keeps the story moving along, keeps giving them a reason to want to be engaged and involved.

SO happy for you! Can't wait to hear about your next one! Smile
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#3
I love the guest book idea! Thanks for sharing your experiences so far.
-Craig
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